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Music sequencer
A music sequencer (or simply sequencer) is a device or application software that can record, edit, or play back music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically CV/Gate, MIDI, or Open Sound Control (OSC), and possibly audio and automation data for DAWs and plug-ins. (See § Types of music sequencer) On WhatIs.com of TechTarget (whatis.techtarget.com), an author seems to define a term "Sequencer" as an abbreviation of "MIDI sequencer". * }} History Early sequencers The early music sequencers were sound producing devices such as automatic musical instruments, music boxes, mechanical organs, player pianos, and Orchestrions. Player pianos, for example, had much in common with contemporary sequencers. Composers or arrangers transmitted music to piano rolls which were subsequently edited by technicians who prepared the rolls for mass duplication. Eventually consumers were able to purchase these rolls and play them back on their own player pianos. The origin of automatic musical instruments seems considerably old. As early as the 9th century, Persian inventors Banū Mūsā brothers invented hydropowered organ using exchangeable cylinders with pins, and also automatic flute player using steam power, as described on their Book of Ingenious Devices. Step sequencers The 'step sequencer's played rigid patterns of notes using a grid of (usually) 16 buttons, or steps, each step being 1/16 of a measure. These patterns of notes were then chained together to form longer compositions. Sequencers of this kind are still in use, mostly built into drum machines and grooveboxes. They are monophonic by nature, although some are multi-timbral, meaning that they can control several different sounds but only play one note on each of those sounds. Early computers On the other hand, software sequencers were utilized in the context of computer music, including computer-''played'' music (software sequencer), computer-''composed'' music (music synthesis), and computer sound generation (sound synthesis). In Japan, experiments in computer music date back to 1962, when Keio University professor Sekine and Toshiba engineer Hayashi experimented with the TOSBAC computer. This resulted in a piece entitled TOSBAC Suite. In 1965, Music workstations Yamaha's GS-1, the first FM digital synthesizer, was released in 1980. To program the synthesizer, Yamaha built a custom computer workstation designed to be used as a sequencer for the GS-1. It was only available at Yamaha's headquarters in Japan (Hamamatsu) and the United States (Buena Park).Nicolae Sfetc, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kXyFAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1525 The Music Sound, page 1525] Standalone CV/Gate sequencers In 1977, Roland Corporation released the MC-8 Microcomposer, also called computer music composer by Roland. It was an early stand-alone, microprocessor-based, digital CV/Gate sequencer, and an early polyphonic sequencer.Paul Théberge (1997), [https://books.google.com/books?id=asBnYmKKz6kC&pg=PA223 Any Sound You Can Imagine: Making Music/Consuming Technology, page 223], Wesleyan University PressHerbert A. Deutsch (1985), [https://books.google.com/books?id=tjEJAQAAMAAJ Synthesis: an introduction to the history, theory & practice of electronic music], page 96, Alfred Music It equipped a keypad to enter notes as numeric codes, 16 KB of RAM for a maximum of 5200 notes (large for the time), and a polyphony function which allocated multiple pitch CVs to a single Gate. It was capable of eight-channel polyphony, allowing the creation of polyrhythmic sequences.Chris Carter, ROLAND MC8 MICROCOMPOSER, Sound on Sound, Vol.12, No.5, March 1997 Earlier sequencers were based on keyboard entry, and lacked the MC-8's CV/Gate capabilities and depth of control/synchronization facilities. The MC-8 had a significant impact on popular electronic music, with the MC-8 and its descendants (such as the Roland MC-4 Microcomposer) impacting popular electronic music production in the 1970s and 1980s more than any other family of sequencers. The MC-8's earliest known users were Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. MIDI sequencers In June 1981, Roland Corporation founder Ikutaro Kakehashi proposed the concept of standardization between different manufacturers' instruments as well as computers, to Oberheim Electronics founder Tom Oberheim and Sequential Circuits president Dave Smith. In October 1981, Kakehashi, Oberheim and Smith discussed the concept with representatives from Yamaha, Korg and Kawai. In 1983, the MIDI standard was unveiled by Kakehashi and Smith. The first MIDI sequencer was the Roland MSQ-700, released in 1983.https://www.roland.com/ca/company/history/ It was not until the advent of MIDI that general-purpose computers started to play a role as sequencers. Following the widespread adoption of MIDI, computer-based MIDI sequencers were developed. MIDI-to-CV/Gate converters were then used to enable analogue synthesizers to be controlled by a MIDI sequencer. Since its introduction, MIDI has remained the musical instrument industry standard interface through to the present day.The life and times of Ikutaro Kakehashi, the Roland pioneer modern music owes everything to, Fact Personal computers In 1978, Japanese personal computers such as the Sharp MZ and Hitachi Basic Master were capable of digital synthesis, which were sequenced using Music Macro Language (MML).Micro Computer BASIC MASTER MB-6880 Music method - |first1= |last2= |first2= |last3= |first3= |last4= |first4= |date=1979-04-26|website=digital.hitachihyoron|publisher= HITACHI |accessdate=26 August 2013}} This was used to produce chiptune video game music. It was not until the advent of MIDI, introduced to the public in 1983, that general-purpose computers really started to play a role as software sequencers. NEC's personal computers, the PC-88 and PC-98, added support for MIDI sequencing with MML programming in 1982. In 1983, Yamaha modules for the MSX featured music production capabilities,Martin Russ, [https://books.google.com/books?id=X9h5AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA84 Sound Synthesis and Sampling, page 84], CRC Press real-time FM synthesis with sequencing, MIDI sequencing, }}David Ellis, Yamaha CX5M, Electronics & Music Maker, October 1984 and a graphical user interface for the software sequencer.Yamaha CX5M Music Computer Flyer, Yamaha Also in 1983, Roland Corporation's CMU-800 sound module introduced music synthesis and sequencing to the PC, Apple II,Roland CMU-800, Vintage Synth Explorer and Commodore 64.Happy birthday MIDI 1.0: Slave to the rhythm, The Register The spread of MIDI on personal computers was facilitated by Roland's MPU-401, released in 1984. It was the first MIDI-equipped PC sound card, capable of MIDI sound processing and sequencing.Programming the MPU-401 in UART modeMIDI PROCESSING UNIT MPU-401 TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL, Roland Corporation After Roland sold MPU sound chips to other sound card manufacturers,MIDI INTERFACES FOR THE IBM PC, Electronic Musician, September 1990 it established a universal standard MIDI-to-PC interface.Peter Manning (2013), [https://books.google.com/books?id=ryet1i-8OlYC Electronic and Computer Music], page 319, Oxford University Press Following the widespread adoption of MIDI, computer-based MIDI software sequencers were developed. In 1987, software sequencers called trackers were developed. They became popular in the 1980s and 1990s as simple sequencers for creating computer game music, and remain popular in the demoscene and chiptune music. See also *Groovebox *Music workstation *Tracker (music software) *Combination action#Sequencers (for organs) *List of music software *List of music sequencers Notes References Category:Music sequencers Category:Electronic musical instruments Category:MIDI Category:Music software Category:Sound production technology Category:Synthesiser modules Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Iranian inventions Category:Japanese inventions